


Because People Don’t Have Wings, They Search for Ways to Fly | Book 1: Air

by Sours



Series: Avatar: The Legend of Hinata Shouyou [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Haikyuu!!
Genre: Airbender Tsukishima Kei, Airbender Yamaguchi Tadashi, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar Hinata Shouyou, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Firebender Hinata Shouyou, Firebender Ushijima Wakatoshi, Gen, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Slow To Update, Waterbender Kageyama Tobio, Waterbender Oikawa Tooru, avatar AU, get ready yall it’s a wild ride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-09-22 20:53:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17066918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sours/pseuds/Sours
Summary: Kageyama Tobio, a waterbending prodigy, and his older and clever cousin Oikawa Tooru discover a firebender named Hinata Shouyou, who has been preserved in an iceberg over the course of 116 years. Although he may be the Avatar, his origins have come to haunt him in his journey as he aims to stop the 100-year long war started by none other than his own people—The Fire Nation.Wait until the world discovers that their only hope hails from their greatest nightmare.





	1. The Boy in the Iceberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waterbenders Kageyama and Oikawa unearth the key to humanity’s freedom in a fishing trip gone wrong.

It was a chilly morning that day at the Southern Water Tribe, though any comment regarding the place was redundant, because living in the South Pole didn't exactly mean living at at the heart of the Fire Nation, where the summers seemed to reign eternal. The snow here seemed to stretch miles and miles across; only in this specific setting does the water seem to reach into the edges of the earth, with huge blocks of ice swaying in the still waters.

 

Oikawa Tooru yawns as he holds the fishing pole in his hands, the cold air nipping at his bare face. His younger cousin, who was still currently trying to figure out how to put bait on the fishing hook, sits behind him with an intense glare. Oikawa predicts it would be five minutes until Kageyama eventually gives in and asks him for help, which is usually the case when it comes to seemingly menial tasks.

 

"Oikawa-san?" Kageyama speaks out, and the noise disperses through the empty seas, fading into the air. A small smirk stretches through Oikawa's lips, "Can you help me? I can't put the bait on the hook."

 

 _'Make that two minutes',_ Oikawa turns back to face him, rolling his blue eyes; a trademark of the Water Tribespeople, "You're useless, you know that?" He laughs as Kageyama glares at him, "It's alright though. Of course I'll help you."

 

Kageyama looks surprised, as he should, when being confronted with unreadable people like Oikawa (then again, Kageyama isn't good at reading anyone), "Really? Thanks—"

 

"Only if you tell me you love me." Oikawa coos back mockingly. It elicits a repressed shiver on the younger's side.

 

Kageyama glares, "I'd rather starve, thanks."

 

"Oh, don't be like that, Tobio-chan," Tooru chastises half-heartedly, shoving the fishing pole back into its owner's arms, bait on hook, "You wouldn't know a thing about waterbending if it weren't for me."

 

Tobio pouts, "You sound pretty confident for the guy who accidentally slipped on ice when trying to talk to Kiyoko-san."

 

Oikawa sputters with a rising blush at the young lady's mention, "Oh shut up, you! You don't even know how to talk to girls, let alone anyone!"

 

"Yeah, well I had a good teacher for that," He sasses back, "He's always too busy styling his hair and trying to tell the difference between a penguin and a _girl_."

 

"That was one time! You know perfectly well that I'm short-sighted!" Oikawa exclaims defensively, "Anyways, you're all bark and no bite if you can't even put bait on a fishing hook."

 

Kageyama, with all the mustered maturity of a 15 year old, sticks his tongue out at his elder, but stays silent. Instead, he immediately throws the line into the water in an almost defiant manner, though maybe he threw it a bit too hard, because the hook misses the water entirely, opting instead to stick itself into a giant floating iceberg that's a just feet away from them.

 

A stretch of silence follows, "Ah...my bad."

 

Oikawa snorts before sighing dramatically, "Oh La, the spirits have cursed you with sweet karma. See, this is why I don't bring you on fishing trips. You're a walking trinket of terrible luck."

 

Tobio glares at the brunet, "I don't see the need to gloat considering that this is _your_ fishing equipment. I don't even get why we need fishing equipment if we could just bend the fish out of the water."

 

Oikawa looks dumbstruck for a good moment—a good moment where Kageyama's confidence goes up by a significant amount—but then makes a face at the raven, "Just get it back, loser."

 

Kageyama rolls his eyes, tugging on the line only to grow more frustrated as it doesn't budge from the ice, "It's not—getting out!"

 

Oikawa snorts, "Nice going, loser; there goes my fishing hook."

 

"Shut up!" Tobio bites, "What should I do?"

 

"I dunno, break the ice so that the hook can budge free?" Oikawa suggests, leaning back on the boat, "Or has sailing too long on sea dulled your senses?"

 

Kageyama pouts angrily, but raises his arm nonetheless. Immediately, he can feel the weight of the iceberg shift between his fingers, almost like a rocking chair, and feels his chi gates open to let the energy flow within him. After a couple of seconds, He brings his hand down swiftly, promptly cracking the iceberg considerably so, or at least enough that the hook is not stuck unto it anymore.

 

“Good,” Tooru sighs, “Now get my hook back, you—“

 

Before Oikawa could finish his sentence, the sound of a loud crack stopped him. Then another. Then another one, this time with enough force to make the water below it splash around the near vicinity. Slowly, Oikawa and Kageyama glanced over to the iceberg, where large cracks have started to accumulate over its translucent surface.

 

“W-What,” The brunet stammers, “What in the name of spirits did you do?”

 

“I-I—“ Kageyama sputters, but before he could finish, the iceberg breaks cleanly in half, followed by a massive, “ **BOOM**!” that sends an outrageous beam of white light from inside the broken block of ice, stretching infinitely into the heavens. A huge push of force quickly follows, and the water ripples with such intensity that it nearly throws both of them off-board.

 

"Ah—!" Oikawa shrieks, "Was—Was that _you_?!" Oikawa says in bewilderment, which is the most genuine emotion Kageyama has witnessed Oikawa express this past week. The elder raises his arms at both sides of the boat—an attempt to calm the waters threatening to throw them into the icy sea.

 

Kageyama promptly follows the other's actions and responds, clearly as confused as the other, "I don't know! How did that even happen?"

 

"Like hell I would know! _You're_ the one who set it off!" Tooru hisses.

 

"You’re the one who told me to!" Kageyama argues back.

 

"I told you to get the damn fishing rod; I didn't ask you to create a beam of light that could potentially signal anything! What if it's a distress signal? It could even alert the Fire Nation here!" Oikawa stresses.

 

Tobio rolls his eyes despite his equal amount of panic to the brunet, "Yeah, because that was definitely what I was trying to do."

 

"Oh, sweet spirits," Oikawa groans. As the rippling waters transition into calm seas under their hands, Oikawa does to, fortunately.

 

Kageyama glances at the iceberg tensely, "Do you think it's...a sign?"

 

Oikawa’s eyes flicker for a split second, "Well, whatever it is, we should probably—“ **THUD**! “—Oh sweet spirits, someone just fell out."

 

"What?" Kageyama exclaims, blue eyes shooting towards the iceberg once more, and lo and behold, a red-clad figure lies dormant on the algid ice. A moment of horrified silence follows before the raven asks, “Should...should we help it?”

 

Oikawa rolls his eyes, momentarily forgetting about his panic and holding his arms out again to slowly push the boat towards the iceberg. They almost stumble trying to get a look at the figure. Oikawa gets there first, on the account that he bended some cold sea water on Kageyama's face out of annoyance, and paces to the body.

 

"Hey! No fair—" Kageyama shouts, bending the freezing water off his face while jogging up to his older cousin, who suddenly looks eerily frozen in place, "Oikawa-san, are they alri—oh."

 

A boy around Kageyama's age or younger lies stagnant on the cold, clear ice; the fiery red and orange hues of his whole being is a direct contrast to the frozen ice beneath his pale skin. His hair is an unruly mess of orange hair that looks like messy flames of a campfire, and his skin is almost fatally pale from being inside the ice for what seemed to be a very long period of time. If he wasn’t clad in Fire Nation clothing, then Kageyama would've been mesmerized. Instead, he gasps, turning his gaze over to Oikawa, who kneels still, eyes piercing into the unmoving body.

 

"He's...he's Fire Nation." Tobio says out loud in utter shock.

 

"Brilliant observation, baby cousin," Oikawa responds, strangely and eerily calm for someone who had just discovered a potential corpse, and presses his ear against the stranger's chest, "Doesn't exactly explain why he was trapped in an iceberg, though."

 

The raven shrugs, hesitantly kneeling opposite of the brunet, "Maybe...he was in a fight with waterbenders? And they trapped him in an iceberg?"

 

"Then why on earth was there a huge beam of light?," Oikawa mutters almost to himself, lifting his head from both the stranger's chest and from deep thought, "Well, I know now he's aliv—" Oikawa stops abruptly as his eyes reach his face. Kageyama gasps.

 

Living in the South Pole, the most you can get from the sun is a shy peek in between the icy valleys; it's light so soft and distant, making a visual symphony with the snow it nestles between in.

 

But his eyes—oh, those wide eyes—slowly open up, only to reveal eons of summer trapped in those eyes, only suddenly now escaping from its confines of ice and winter. A warm kind of light—not the destructive flames that swallow entire Kingdoms whole, that burns villages into ash, the kind that killed his own _mother_ —shine from his eyes and envelopes every crevice it can reach, including Kageyama himself, because how else can his face feel so warm? It's only when he hears a not-so subtle cough from opposite of him and looks up to see Oikawa's irritatingly smug grin that there's no warm light anywhere; He was simply _blushing_.

 

"Hi!" The stranger greets suddenly, and quite loudly too, enough to create an echo in the atmosphere and to bring Kageyama back from his reverie, "Wanna go dragon-riding?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any errors, grammatical or story-wise, will be fixed later on. Feel free to ask any questions!


	2. Boy in the Iceberg, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God how do people write im never doing it again. 
> 
> BTW, Im so glad and grateful that many of you seem to be excited for this series! I am too, and I’ll always be doing my best to update at least once every 2 weeks (?). I’m not the best, and I am constantly trying to iron out the edges, so forgive me if I ever go back and edit some old chapters. Anyways, enough with my rambling, please enjoy!

“Hi!" The stranger greets suddenly, and quite loudly too, enough to create an echo in the atmosphere and to bring Kageyama back from his reverie, "Wanna go dragon-riding?"

 

Kageyama sputters his way back into existence, glancing away to cover his reddening face. Oikawa, who looks both unamused and fascinated, speaks up, "We'd love to, but unfortunately, we don't exactly know you." Oikawa thinks in the back of his mind, ‘ _Do dragons even exist anymore_?’

 

The stranger bolts straight up, flashing a grin, "Oh, I'm Hinata Shouyou," he introduces himself casually, as if he wasn't sitting clad in Fire Nation clothing in front of two powerful waterbenders, "Who are you guys?" He kicks his legs through the air in rapid succession, lifting himself from his sitting position. If he saw Kageyama flinch or Oikawa squint even more, Hinata doesn't tell.

 

Tooru doesn't smile; he rarely does when he's trying to carefully observe something. ‘ _A firebender, huh? I suppose that was obvious enough from the start_ ’ he thinks. “I'm Oikawa Tooru, and this here is my emotionally-constipated cousin, Kageyama Tobio." Oikawa greets, still somewhat wary, not that Hinata seems to notice. Tobio glares back for the umpteenth time at the insulting mention, "Look, we don't mean any harm," A big fat lie, because Kageyama can see Oikawa in the corner of his eye slowly dragging water out with his hand behind his back, "But who are you, really? How did you get here?"

 

It was almost funny, because every time Oikawa spoke with ulterior motives, it usually sparked some sort of unease within people. It's worse when there was eye contact, because Kageyama knows that Oikawa's eyes are as sharp and cold as the icy waters he represents. But somehow, Hinata doesn't seem even the slightest bit terrified.

 

He sighs comically, "I...don't really know. All I remember is being on a ship on my way to the Boiling Rock when suddenly—WOOSH!" He makes a loud sound while emphasizing it with his hands, "I was wiped out into the sea."

 

Oikawa seems unimpressed. Kageyama raises his brow, "Boiling...Rock?"

 

Hinata redirects his eyes with a sheepish grin, "Ah...it's this prison somewhere in the Fire Nation where they keep, like, really bad criminals."

 

Oikawa tilts his gaze, "Prison? What on earth did you do to get yourself arrested like that?" The brunet discreetly wraps the sea water around his hand behind his back, preparing for a possible offense. Kageyama only hopes that it isn't the case.

 

Shouyou, surprisingly, becomes defensive, “I didn't do anything! It's more of me...existing?”

 

"What do you mean?" Tobio asks as he looks at Oikawa, whose eyes look like they've unveiled a revelation.

 

Hinata looks down at the stone cold ice, muttering something incoherent while fidgeting with his fingers.

 

Kageyama raises an eyebrow, "Well? Spit it out." He says bluntly.

 

Oikawa, however, only smirks as he stares head on with Hinata, "He means to say _this.”_ And with that, the brunet quickly extends the arm behind his back to release a shot of water towards the shorter boy.

 

In a moment of shock, Hinata raises his hands defensively, but after a considerable amount of time, he felt...nothing. Well, he does feel some weight floating in his fingers, as if there was a tangible object shifting between them, but he knew he could feel nothing. Hinata opens up his eyes slowly and sees 2 things, in this order:

 

He sees Kageyama and Oikawa standing, though the former has his blue eyes and jaw shot wide open, and the brunet has a strangely smug look on his face.

 

He sees his hands, which are pretty small but slender and sturdy from all the years his spent practicing firebending. Beyond his fingers, he can see water floating on air, seeming to shift with every slight movement of his fingers. He was waterbending.

 

...Oh, spirits—he was _waterbending_.

 

With wide eyes, he suddenly drops the water, and the cold weight on his fingers disappears. He doesn't hear any splash, though, and it's when he looks up he can see Oikawa's satisfied face and long fingers playing with the water in between them.

 

"I knew it," He mutters triumphantly, blue eyes glazing over with satisfaction, "You're the _Avatar_."

 

Silence, much like the barren icelands themselves, seems to stretch for miles until Kageyama says, "The...Avatar?"

 

Oikawa snaps out of his serpent-like reverie, rolling his eyes, "Yes, Tobio-chan, the Avatar. You know, master of all four elements, maintains peace within the four nations—"

 

"I-I know that!" He sputters, "It's just...didn't the Avatar...die 100 years ago?"

 

Shouyou's eyes widen, unbeknownst to the two arguing siblings in front of him. Tooru smirks, "Nice to know there's something in your brain other than waterbending techniques."

 

Tobio glares back, "Oh, shut up."

 

"W-Wait, hold on." Both of their attentions are now directed towards the boy in front of them, who is seemingly frozen in place, "I...died? One hundred years ago?"

 

"Um...well..." Oikawa starts, "There was a rumor that, around 100 years ago, the Avatar died under the hands of the Fire Lord. It’s no surprise, really, since the War started around that time as well.” Oikawa shifts his gaze towards the redhead, “You...were around when the War started, right?”

 

Hinata shrugs, smiling sheepishly, “The Fire Lord did tell me the plans before I was shipped off to the Boiling Rock, but...I didn’t think he was going to _actually_ succeed...”

 

Tooru hums, “Well, the rumors spread pretty quickly, and after that, there was another rumor that the Air Nomads went into hiding to avoid the Fire Nation.”

 

Tobio raises an eyebrow, "Wait, why'd they do that?"

 

"Because, my dear baby cousin," Oikawa sighs, "Had the Avatar died, the next Avatar would've born into the Air Nomads. There's been a lot of mystery surrounding the happenings of the Avatar, and people had begun to lose hope that they may never return." Oikawa glances at Shouyou with a glint in his eyes, "But now, you're here. You're living proof that these rumors are false. You have to defeat the Fire Lord, and bring an end to this war.”

 

Tobio glances back at his older cousin, who seemed almost unrecognizable with his piercing eyes.

 

Shouyou gulps, "But...But how am I gonna do that? You said it yourself; The Air Nomads have gone into hiding, and Air is the first element I have to learn!"

 

Tooru looks at him again with an unreadable glance, "I...I don't know exactly how you're going to find them, but whatever way it's going to take, we're going to go with you."

 

It's Kageyama's turn to be shocked, "W-What?! We are? Why?" He sputters out.

 

Tooru shrugs nonchalantly, "Well, we'd be doing a world a favor by helping out the Avatar, right? Plus, I've always wanted to explore the world, and if Shouyou-chan here has to learn all the four elements, we're definitely gonna do a lot of traveling."

 

Tobio pouts, "Well, how exactly do you insist on traveling? Mister Firebender here doesn't exactly have a dragon we could perch on and fly away!"

 

Shouyou hums, "That would be cool, though."

 

"There's an abandoned ship I found a few years back. I've always planned on leaving this place and exploring the world. Of course, you'd be going with me." Oikawa glances at Kageyama with a deadpanned look.

 

"But...how about our tribe? Is it...really okay to just leave? What about Gran-Gran?" Kageyama asks.

 

Oikawa has an unreadable expression, but for a split second, Kageyama could see a hint of concern, "Oh Tobio-chan, trust me—Gran-Gran would not be any more happier for kicking us out of the Tribe. You alone cause more trouble that anyone else, anyways." Tooru grins as he watches Tobio scowl at him. Before he can ask more, however, he heads on to their boat and jumps into one of the seats, looking at Tobio and Shouyou, "Well? Are you two lovebirds coming with me or what?”

 

Both of them blush instantaneously, but Kageyama brushes it off quicker and stomps off to the boat, letting Shouyou trail right behind him, “Wait, where are we going, anyways?” Hinata asks.

 

“Water Tribe, of course!” Oikawa replies with a grin full of plans, “Now get in here before you two have to swim your way back home.”

 

* * *

 

The silence returns. Though this time, it’s an awkward, but appreciated silence. Shouyou looks at the water below him. The deep, murky pools of water seem almost tempting to jump into, if not for its unworldly temperature. Though, if Hinata wanted to drown again, he would have to look no further than his own thoughts, which are infinitely more harsher or colder than any blizzard, and more deep than any ocean. Even the thought of thinking about his worries had him sink deeper into his knees.

 

He observes quietly as Tobio swirls the water beneath their boat, gently encouraging the boat to move. He also watches as the waterbender's whole body seems to move with the water itself, though it's a subtle movement, as if there's no effort at all. Looking at the way they both behave in terms of waterbending, it’s no shock that they both must be very well-versed in their bending skills.

 

Hinata also notices how their movements seem more heavier and graceful. With fire, his movements are sharp and defined, quick and deliberate. It's an element that spreads, after all. You wouldn't want fire spreading all over the place, so it must be controlled, as with the movements that follow. Water, however, looks to be an almost polar opposite. When Shouyou accidentally bended the water in his hands, he could feel its heaviness shifting between his very fingertips. When the weight spread all throughout his body, though, he could better control it, in contrast to if the weight had been controlled in one spot; it would've spilled immediately.

 

"Hey."

 

The blunt call snaps Hinata out of his daze, and he looks up from his musing position to see Tobio staring at him with a steely gaze, "I...what's your home like? The Fire Nation, I mean." He stammers, which makes Hinata chuckle mentally.

 

At the mention of his home, Shouyou's eyes ignite like a campfire on a cold night. He ignores Tooru's snicker behind his back and gets ready to speak, "I lived in a small town, just a bit west from the capital of the Fire Nation. It was always so warm all year round—so different from here." The redhead glances at his surroundings, "I've never even seen snow until today."

 

"I'm...surprised." He turns to see Oikawa speak, "You don't seem too bothered by the cold."

 

"Oh, that's because my mom taught me a breathing exercise that helps you keep warm from the inside!" Shouyou replies, "Apparently, airbenders do it all the time. She was also the one who taught me firebending in general."

 

The brunet behind him hums, "I see. Your mother seems very well-versed in bending," though he isn't his mother, Shouyou preens under the compliment, "Were you two the only firebenders in the family, then?"

 

"Pretty much! My Dad works as a glassblower. I also have a little sister! Her name is Natsu—" Shouyou suddenly halts his sentence, and glances down at the water below. He looks...distraught, "Or, I guess...her name... _was_ Natsu." He lets out a laugh that has a distinct undertone of grief, sinking his head into his knees.

 

"Hey, Shouyou," Tooru halts his waterbending to hesitantly put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and Kageyama's eyes widen. Conciliation was never Oikawa's best suit, "I'm...sorry about reminding you about your family. It must be tough."

 

Shouyou perks up, flashing the older one a small grin, "No, it's fine. I...like talking about my family. About my village. It was all I had."

 

Oikawa sighs, "I guess me and Tobio-chan can relate. We live in a small tribe, too. The Southern Watertribe has never been as big as our Northern counterpart."

 

A small amount of time passes before Hinata speaks up, "Hey, Oikawa-san?" Shouyou looks down into the water again, "What...what happened when I disappeared?"

 

"Well..." The brunet speaks up, "After the rumors spread that you died, the Air Nomads were pretty spooked. I heard that after the Fire Nation wiped out an Air Temple completely, they went into hiding in order to protect the next Avatar that would have already been born into the Air Nomads. The Fire Nation had been trying to track them down since. In the meantime, they managed to conquer a few islands from the Earth Kingdom," He turns silent for a few seconds, "And also...pillaged our Tribe for the last few years."

 

A rough sigh draws out from Shouyou's mouth, "Oh spirits, I'm so sorry," He's quiet for a moment before he speaks up, "It's...it's all my fault, isn't it?"

 

Oikawa opens his mouth to say something, but quickly shuts it. The boy's been stuck in an iceberg for spirit knows how long—he's in loss for words.

 

"No, it...really shouldn’t be your fault," Oikawa and Hinata both perk up at the sound. It's, surprisingly, Tobio speaking, who seemed eerily silent on this boat ride, "I mean...no one asked you to be the Avatar, you were just...born with it, right? That seems pretty unfair. If anything, it's the world's fault for relying on you. You're just a..." Tobio pauses for a moment, thinking pretty intensely, "I...uh...how—how old are you?"

 

Hinata tilts his head while Oikawa snickers at him, "Oh...I'm sixteen!"

 

Kageyama's eyes widen, "Wait—you're _just_ sixteen?"

 

"What do you mean I'm 'just sixteen'?!" Hinata puffs out.

 

Oikawa snorts, "He's older than both of us. One-hundred and sixteen, remember?" He savors both of their flustered looks before continuing, "I'm pretty shocked, too though. No offense, but you look like you're twelve."

 

The two waterbenders are amused by Shouyou's comical but harmless reactions. In one swift moment, the tension was forgotten for a little period of time.

 

* * *

 

Eventually, the trio manages to reach the Southern Water Tribe, a small but charming little village. Shouyou notices the many people, much like Kageyama and Oikawa, wearing parkas that seem almost ridiculously thick, but considering the weather, even Hinata's breathing exercises won't stand a chance in the long run. There was a small port on the edge of the island, with small fishing boats scattered near it. The huts are small, but lovely, some made with pure ice or a combination of wood, cloth, and leaves. There was also plenty of campfires, all put out until the dusk arrives, with logs covered in cloth placed around to act as seating.

 

“Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe,” Oikawa says, proceeding to get out of the boat in order to tie it into place, “Try not to slip anywhere while your hear, ‘kay?”

 

Nodding, Shouyou gets off, albeit hesitantly, pulling on the hem of his red shirt out of nervousness.

 

Kageyama grabs their catch of the day then proceeds to head off as well, but not before being grabbed by the collar by Tooru, "Eh? What do you want now?"

 

“Take him to your hut and dress him up,” He whispers, “Make sure no one sees him while on the way there, too."

 

"Huh? Why so?" Tobio asks innocently. Oikawa grabs his head and turns it to the direction of Shouyou, whose red and orange hues are a direct contrast with the icey background—Oh, "Oh, yeah. Got you." Tobio hulls the basket and motions to Hinata, telling the boy to come with him, and Shouyou nods.

 

He proceeds to follow Kageyama heading to the back of the huts, as to not attract any attention of the other wandering tribespeople. Shouyou feels almost scandalous following Tobio behind the huts. It brings a blush to his face, but then he remembers his cousin's stern eyes, like the calm before a storm, and shivers in fear instead. Eventually, Tobio stops in front of a small hut. He peaks his head inside, then turns to Hinata after setting the basket down.

 

"It's empty. You should head in. Oikawa-san said to dress you up." He says, motioning Hinata inside. After a nervous inhale, the shorter one steps in.

 

Its a modest ice cottage, really; same goes for what he's seen of the tribe so far. Not that it's a terrible thing; Shouyou isn't exactly a city boy himself. As he sits cross-legged on a patch of what seems to be animal hide while Kageyama sits across him, digging through old clothes, he feels a smile inching across his face.

 

Soon, Tobio's head emerges from the box. He stands, holding a fairly large parka on one hand and a pair of medium-sized shirt and trousers on the other, "Here you go," He says, tossing them unto Shouyou's hands, "I'll...go check on my cousin. You can meet me out when you're done."

 

Hinata watches as Kageyama leaves the hut, then glances at the clothes thrown at him. They look small in size, and if Kageyama or Oikawa don't live with anyone younger than them, Shouyou assumes that these clothes were worn in their younger days. He isn't sure whether he should feel offended, but being burdened with other thoughts in his mind, he shoves it aside and proceeds to remove his clothing, "Finally," He breathes out a warm sigh as he puts on the parka, "Heat..."

 

* * *

 

 

Tobio treads through the snow, shifting his glance every once and a while to look for his older cousin. Normally, he isn't tough to find, since Tooru’s usually swarmed with many of his adoring fans. No, the toughest part of the job was trying to talk to him amidst the swarm of ladies trying to get a piece of him.

 

"Oikawa-san!" He calls out, immediately annoyed by the lack of a response, "Where are you, damn it!"

 

After a moment, he hears a giggle from his right side. He traverses through some cottages before reaching a fishing area where he finds Oikawa surrounded by a modest group of three teenage girls.

 

"Oikawa-san, how was the trip? I hope it was successful!"

 

"Oikawa-san, if you're feeling too cold, I made some seafood congee at my place!"

 

"Oikawa-san, could you maybe teach me how to fish one day?"

 

Kageyama deadpans as he watches his stupid older cousin juggling the three girls with absolute ease, not even noticing him standing by the corner. With a roll of his eyes, he bends a ball of snow into his hands and lunges it at the brunet, effectively hitting him head on.

 

"Gah!—Hey! Tobio-chan!" Oikawa complains, but shuts his mouth immediately when he sees the deadly glare in Kageyama's eyes. He gulps, turning to the ladies right beside him, "Well, this has been fun, but I'm afraid my baby cousin needs me. We can talk more later, yeah?" They all let out a unison of complaints, but he winks them a goodbye anyways before walking over to the raven and speaking to him in hushed tones, "So, did you dress him up?"

 

Kageyama sighs, "Yeah...gave him some of my old clothes," He pauses for a moment before letting out a frustrated grunt, "Oikawa-san...is it really a good idea to let him stay here?"

 

Tooru looks as conflicted as he is, for better or for worse, "No, I don't think it is," He crosses his arms, "Our main problem is the Fire Nation. If they really saw the beam of light, they could very well be on our tracks at this moment."

 

"So...what?" Tobio almost whispers, "We're just gonna...give Hinata away to them?"

 

The brunet sighs, crossing his arms, "We'll have no choice," He pauses for a short moment, "We have to leave at some point, but it’ll take some time to explain everything to Gran-Gran.”

 

Kageyama frowns, unconsciously spinning a sliver of water in between his fingers—a distracting mechanism, Oikawa observes, "We...we’ll have to stay then, won't we?"

 

“Yeah,” Oikawa nods, “While we’re here, it would be best to reason with Gran-Gran while we still can.”

 

Tobio gulps, “That won’t be easy.”

 

Tooru sighs, “Yeah, I know, but we’ll have to do it, anyways.”

 

“And by ‘ _we_ ’,” Kageyama says sheepishly, “you mean ‘ _you_ ’, right?”

 

With a roll of his eyes, Oikawa replies, “I’m pretty sure if you, of all people, tried to convince Gran-Gran to help the Avatar restore balance to the world, you’d probably find some way to get us stuck in house arrest for the rest of our lives.”

 

Kageyama shrugs, “Eh, can’t argue with that.”

 

"What are you guys talking about?" Both of the boys glance at the origin of the sound to see Hinata bundled up in their clothing, his orange hair sticking out a like a sore thumb.

 

Oikawa laughs as he scans the redhead, "Oh, nothing, Chibi-chan." Oikawa immediately chuckles at the boy's pissed off reaction, “Anyways, let’s go and set up your bed. Tobio-chan, why don’t you escort him back to your hut?”

 

“ _What_?” Kageyama hisses quietly, “Why do I get stuck with him for the night?”

 

“Excuse me, but who exactly is going to be doing the negotiating with the Head of the Tribe in the first place?” Oikawa taunts, smirking when he renders Kageyama speechless, “Exactly. Now get to it, you dork.” He laughs, bending a bit of snow unto Kageyama’s face before he heads the opposite direction.

 

Kageyama sports a gloomy expression while walking back to the hut, which is a complete turnabout of Hinata's wide grin. Shouyou seems to jump with every step as they head back, unlike when they first got here, and waves at practically every person they pass by. People, being rather polite, wave back, albeit confused, and even a good number greet Kageyama, who only bowed and murmured a small "Hello" in response.

 

“Ah, I've heard of so many things about the world from my parents! Like the Elephant Koi in Kyoshi Island! We even visited the Earth Kingdom once, and I had an old friend who I used to mess around with a lot in an Earth Kingdom called Omashu! I also—"

 

At that point, Kageyama drowns out the white noise, groaning internally until they make it to the hut. Hopefully, Hinata would calm down—

 

"Wah! I almost forgot! I once met this really huge dragon back then! Dang, I really wish I had a pet dragon! Do you guys have pets? Like, snow pets or something? Wow, imagine a pet made out of snow! Hey, how much does it snow here? Like, annually? Because I—“

 

Tobio breathes a heavy sigh. Hinata might be the Avatar, but if he keeps this up, he might as well chat up the Fire Lord to death instead of mastering all Four Elements.

 

* * *

 

 

A tall, dark-haired male shivers in the stale comfort of his royal uniform, staring as the dark metal of his ship cuts through the clear, willing waters of the sea. Despite only staring, the waters below seem to slowly drown him down into the cold, murky depths below. He groans—considering where he's planning to set sail next, he will only grow more intolerant of the already chilly air.

 

"Where should we set our course, Prince Ushijima?"

 

Ushijima's eyes were stoic as he faces the person talking, whom he assumed only to be a regular worker on the ship. When he spots red, spiky hair, his eyes soften, "You don't have to call me that all the time, Tendo-kun," Ushijima eyes him with a questioning gaze, "Where's the Co-Captain?"

 

Tendo shrugs, "He asked me to ask you about our course? We've got some new recruits onboard, so he's been kinda busy." He places his arms behind his head in such a nonchalant manner that most sometimes forget that he happens to be Ushijima's right-hand man.

 

The Prince raises an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware we had new recruits. What are their names?"

 

Tendo snorts, "You do know you're the Prince, right? I'm surprised to see you still care about unimportant people."

 

Ushijima frowns, "Everyone is important, Satori."

 

"For the Fire Prince, you're pretty tender-hearted," Satori chuckles once more, "I only remember one: an eager little boy named Tsutomo Goshiki. He's a pretty cute kid—even heard him gushing over you in the restrooms."

 

The Prince smiles ever so slightly, "I'll keep that in mind."

 

"Alright, enough with the chit chat. Are you gonna tell me our next course or what?"

 

Ushijima stares back again into the vast seas, "Southern Water Tribe."

 

Tendo grins, "Ah, guessed you would have said that."

 

* * *

 

 

Tooru stares quietly at his tribe from the comfort of the snow. The sun had already begun to set as mothers and able children light the lamps just outside their homes. He can even begin to smell the familiar scent of oysters and fish being cooked in preparation for supper. He wonders fondly, whether this will be his last night of a Water Tribe dinner, his last night of conversing with his own people, or even his last night of feeling the snow crunch beneath his boots as he brings home a basket full of fish for his tribe.

 

Tooru shakes his head, ' _No_ ,' he thinks to himself, ' _This is unnecessary sentiment. Besides, me and Tobio-chan will be back anyways after we help Shouyou-chan learn all the elements. Maybe after the war, we'll even be able to reform the Southern Water Tribe_ ,' he smiles out of no where, ' _Yeah, maybe even build a watchtower that Tobio-chan thinks is too stupid of an idea—'_

 

"Hey, Oikawa-san?"

 

Oikawa turns his head to the voice of his younger cousin, "Oh. Hey. Are you both done packing?"

 

Kageyama nods, "Hinata fell asleep while I was packing," He rolls his eyes as he sits himself on the snow next to Oikawa, "For someone who spent 100 years asleep in an iceberg, I'm surprised he's even tired."

 

Oikawa snorts, "Yeah, well, I'm sure I would be tired if I, the Avatar, had just woken up in the exact opposite of my homeland and realized that there's a 100 year old war that I now must stop and, oh yeah, I'm now destined to be hated by everyone I meet because my appearance screams 'Fire Nation'." Oikawa says jokingly, but slowly stills in realization, "Spirits, I have to protect that kid."

 

Tobio tilts his head to the side, "You actually seem concerned. That's new."

 

Tooru looks at the younger with a small defensive glare, "O-Of course I'm concerned! I'm a naturally caring person!"

 

“You sure are.” He laughs dryly, “Uh, hey, Oikawa-san?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“If...if the Fire Navy does come back here,” Kageyama looks down, “What do we do, then?”

 

It’s silent, only for a short moment, as the world continues on around them, blissfully unaware, “Don’t forgot, Tobio-chan,” He glances towards the younger, tone filled with reassurance, “that they’re here to look for the Avatar. As long as we don’t put up a fight and hide Shouyou-chan well, we’ll be okay.” He places a hand on the other’s shoulder, “Do you remember...the space underneath your hut?” He asks ever so softly.

 

Grief flashes through Kageyama’s eyes. He sinks his head deeper into his knees, “How can I?”

 

“Then...you already know what to do, yeah?”

 

Kageyama nods.

 

“Good.” Oikawa slowly pulls the other closer to his chest. Kageyama surprisingly complies, “It’s all you need to do, okay?”

 

“...Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this took a long time to write and edit! Apologies in advance to any mistakes that may pop up!


	3. The Avatar Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, Ushijima cocks an eyebrow, squinting at the shadowed figure standing from a distance, “And...who may you be?” 
> 
> “I’m Hinata Shouyou!” He exclaims, “I’m the Avatar! I’m the one you’re looking for!” 
> 
> Ushijima readies himself in an instant, leaning back against his back leg and raising his arms in defense, “Then show yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHEW I CAN EXPLAIN
> 
> I had to skip school for two weeks because of *reasons* and boy did i pay the price for it!! I came back the week before exams so i had a LOT of work to catch up on. By the end of it i was very cranky and couldnt form coherent thoughts it was a disaster. 
> 
> Another reason why I couldn’t finish this on time was because this chapter was pretty long! Some parts at the end are kinda rushed so i do apologize.
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy nonetheless!

“Huff...hah.”

 

Loud pants and breaths resonate within the metal confines of the room, along with the sounds of a punching bag being tussled around, its chains cackling against one another. In the room was Ushijima, his maroon hair sticking to his forehead through sheer sweat alone, with excess sweat running down the expanse of his back. As the noises of punching continue, a loud knock could be heard from the door.

 

“I’m coming in!” A voice shouts from behind the door. He instantly turns the handle to peek through the doorway, revealing the familiar set of spiky red hair, “Good morning, Prince Ushijima! Nice to see you up and running.”

 

Ushijima tosses him a confused glance, “But...I’m not running. I’m boxing.”

 

“It’s an expression.” Tendo laughs, “Also, hello to you, too.”

 

“Hello, Tendo,” Ushijima greets, “Also, I would appreciate if you had waited for a signal to come inside. What if I were undressed?” The Prince comments, reaching towards his bedside table for a towel.

 

“Hmm, I could hear you boxing from the other side of the ship, and I doubt that you box while being butt-naked,” Tendo snorts, “But I got the memo. I’ll wait next time.”

 

“Thank you,” Ushijima says, sitting down on the edge of his bed, wiping away the sweat from his brow, “Anyways, what brings you here?”

 

“Well, we’re about to reach our destination,” The redhead replies, “It might take half an hour, though. Enough for a tasty breakfast! Waddaya’ say?”

 

Ushijima hums, “Breakfast sounds good. I’ll meet you upstairs.”

 

Tendo shoots him a wide grin before leaving, “See you then, Prince.”

* * *

 

 

“Uh, so where are we going, exactly?” Hinata yawns out, rubbing his eyes as he trudges through the snow with Oikawa and Kageyama.

 

“Our Gran-Gran.” Oikawa says tersely, “I’m sure she would like to know why we’ve been acting so strange lately.”

 

“But it’s so early, though!” The redhead whines, “I wanna crawl back into the warm quilts and never come out...”

 

Tooru rolls his eyes, “Oh, no can do, Chibi-chan,” He twists his head to look at the firebender, “You’re gonna have to walk the talk real well if I have to convince the head of the Water Tribe that you, of all people, are the Avatar bent on restoring balance to the elements.”

 

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Hinata pouts, “I’m charming! I’ve made at least 7 friends during my time here!”

 

Kageyama snorts, “Are you really counting the old lady who was washing clothes yesterday near the bay?”

 

“Don’t make fun of Yumei! She’s a nice old lady!”

 

“You remember her name...?”

 

“Oh, never mind that!” Oikawa halts their conversation at its tracks, “I thought I told you not to attract attention while you’re here!”

 

“I-I can’t help it! I like being friendly!” Hinata says sheepishly, “I couldn’t just stand around watching! Your people are really fascinating. A little girl even showed me her ice collection yesterday! Did you know how many types of snow you guys have?”

 

“...There are different snow types..?” Oikawa mutters, then shakes his head, “Oh, nevermind! Listen, Shouyou-chan, it’s a ridiculously small world here, and everyone is really close. If someone noticed how different you look, I can’t _not_ imagine that Gran-Gran already knows you’re here!” He stresses, “You better be a hell of a charmer by the time we reach her, or the world might as well be—“ Oikawa suddenly stops in his tracks, “—toast...”

 

“Hey, what’s with the snowfall?” Hinata squints at the invasive snow. The dark grey matter glides through the air, a contrast against the cool blues of the sky above. Removing his glove, Shouyou holds up his hand and catches it in his palm, surprised when the substance shrivels into dust, “Why does it feel...weird?”

 

“That isn’t snowfall,” Kageyama’s face pales, “it’s _ash_.”

 

“Tobio, bring Shouyou to your hut.” Oikawa turns to both of them, voice and eyes sharp like ice, “I’ll take care of the Tribe.”

 

Kageyama stammers, “But—“

 

“It’s fine! Just meet me outside later. Now go!” Oikawa hurries the two, heading towards the origin of the strange ash.

 

Kageyama is frozen for a moment, but quickly shakes his head and grabs Hinata, who yelps in surprise, by the wrist, “Follow me—!” 

 

* * *

 

 

“Prince Ushijima, we are nearing our destination.” A recruit says, standing at a respectable distance away from Ushijima, who ponders as he stares directly into the water.

 

Ushijima hums, “Good.” He looks up, the Southern Water Tribe getting bigger with each second they travel, “ Tell me, what is the status of waterbenders here?”

 

“All are imprisoned, your highness,” He replies, “As far as we are concerned, there are no recorded waterbenders alive in the Southern Water Tribe.”

 

“We’ll see about that...” The Prince mutters to himself, “Tell Tendo Satori to report to me as soon as possible.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

* * *

 

“In here!” Kageyama exclaims, dashing through the curtains with Hinata following after. In the center of the hut lies a wooden table that Tobio pushes to the side, and it’s when he pulls off the animal hide that Hinata notices a hole underneath it. His face contorts into confusion, ‘ _Why in the name of Spirits is there a giant hole good enough for someone to fit through right here? Wouldn’t that be a hazard_?’

 

“Jump in here, Hinata!” Kageyama directs his attention towards the redhead. He also, however, notes the obvious look of confusion on Hinata’s face, and coughs sheepishly, “Um...my father made this hole here. Its a hiding place.”

 

“A hiding place? Why would you need...” Hinata questions, but as the realization blooms in his mind and face, he suddenly stops, “...Oh.”

 

“Just—get in there!” Kageyama shouts, changing the sudden shift in tone. Hinata yelps before jumping in, ice crunching beneath his shoes as he falls down, “I’ll cover it up again. _Don’t_ get up from there.” He says, tone and eyes sharp like ice, instantly chilling Hinata to his core. As promised, Kageyama unfurls the rug looks over the hole, the dark and cold becoming much more apparent in his little concave room. Hinata shivers. How dull yet contextually terrifying.

 

Kageyama makes a swift exit, footsteps flying through the air and almost instantly disappearing. Hinata curls up, knees up to his chest, ignoring the blunt cold on his bottom. As he looks around in his little cave, he can almost imagine Kageyama, small and helpless, listening quietly as everyone he loves fights, dies, or is imprisoned in ruthless vain. It’s at that point, Shouyou realizes, that he has an important choice to make. One is selfish, another riddled with guilt.

 

As Hinata lifts the rug, he realizes that maybe it isn’t so selfish after all.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama runs. Swift, yet quietly. It’s something he’s picked up from an early age. Thinking again, the thought is not as impressive than it is heartbreaking in context, but Tobio digresses. From a distance, he can see Oikawa hurrying people into their tents and huts. Tobio hurries towards him.

 

“Oikawa-san!” Kageyama calls out, occasionally gesturing to bystanders to stay inside, “Why—why aren’t you in uniform?” He pants out.

 

“Look, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa ignores the other’s question, pointing towards the distance where Kageyama can spot a dark blurb slowly growing larger, “The Fire Navy.”

 

Kageyama stares for a while before saying, “Huh, surprised you can see that with your terrible eyesight.”

 

Oikawa squawks, slapping Kageyama’s shoulder in a half-hearted attempt to scold him, “Stop that, we’re in the middle of an invasion.”

 

The corners of Kageyama’s lips curl upwards. Not exactly a smile, Oikawa thinks, but it’s close enough, “Should we put on the armor?”

 

“Nah, just fill up your water jug, just in case.” Oikawa replies, “Besides, you hate the Water Tribe uniforms anyway.”

 

“Yeah, feels too stiff. Messes with my bending.”

 

Oikawa rolls his eyes, “Never met anyone who prioritizes having the right amount of flexibility in bending over safety.” 

 

“Oh, shut up and get into position.” 

 

* * *

 

 

 _CRACK_! went the ice, the noise reverberating and planting fear throughout the cowering tribespeople. The floor beneath Hinata’s feet shakes, and the redhead resists the temptation of retreating to his sad little cave underneath the ground. But he couldn’t, even if he tried. They were in danger. And it was all Hinata’s fault.

 

Shouyou peeks from behind the igloo, hood up as not to attract attention to the alarming shade of orange atop his head. He gasps. A Fire Navy ship, with a size that could topple the South Pole in seconds, breaks through the edges of the ice with its sharp exterior. The ship was dark with a red undertone, and made of metal, crowed with a dragon on the edge of the vessel. Impressive, and certainly terrifying. In the state that he was in, Shouyou could only afford to gulp at its massive, horrifying glory.

 

‘ _A bright and beautiful nation like mine_ ’, he thinks with a crossed look, ‘ _has the nerve to show something like_ that _to the rest of the world_?’

 

A ramp suddenly extends forward from the vessel, and from it walks a tall man in dark armor, expression steely yet eerily calm. Behind himfollows a small band of soldiers, all clad in uniforms Hinata has definitely not seen before. Shouyou can’t help but gulp and retreat deeper into the shadows.

 

Meanwhile, Oikawa and Kageyama stand in front of the tribe, some hidden in their houses, and some watching the commotion unfolding. Kageyama’s and Oikawa’s Grandmother stands just behind the two teenagers, concern concealed in sternness as she glares at the ship that had just cut through the ice of their modest Tribe.

 

As Ushijima descends from the railing, he feasts his eyes on the cold atmosphere, and the inhabitants inside it. With an indifferent expression, he says, “Hmm, how...quaint.”

 

“What is your business here?” Their Grandmother spats, demanding rather than asking, “Haven’t you took enough from our Tribe?”

 

Ushijima ignores the harsh tone and instead looks her straight in the eyes, firey blues meeting icey reds, “I am Prince Wakatoshi Ushijima, and I am looking for the Avatar.”

 

A series of gasps and whispers erupt from the Water Tribe, and it’s when Gran-Gran holds up her hand that the commotion resides. If she saw Oikawa stiffen or Kageyama squirm in place, she doesn’t say anything, “The Avatar? He’s been gone for over a century! What makes you think the Avatar could be here?”

 

“Don’t play dumb, old woman,” Ushijima says coldly. Oikawa grits his teeth, resisting the urge to drop him into the cold, freezing abyss below them, “There was an extraordinary beam of light that originated from the Southern Water Tribe. I know you’re housing him, and I won’t hesitate to take extreme measures to get him.” His eyes dart over to Kageyama, who freezes in place.

 

Oikawa steps forward, unknowingly guarding Kageyama in the process, “That’s insane. Why would the Avatar be here, of all places? We don’t even have any Water Masters here, and not a single waterbender!”

 

Ushijima briefly stands in silence, “Well, I think.” He mutters slowly, “that your friend over here has something to say about that.”

 

Oikawa’s eyes widen, and before he could react, Ushijima quickly restrains Kageyama, keeping his wrists locked and on his back. Horrified gasps were heard as Ushijima releases a ribbon of fire right from his hands, just as the water dancing on Kageyama’s hand out of nervous habit falls unto the ground.

 

And Tooru can’t help it. Can’t help but stare hopelessly at the flames, memories flooding his mind, and it doesn’t take long before Ushijima dashes his foot through Oikawa’s ankles, rendering him immobile as he tumbles to the ground. Ushijima says something, and before he can comprehend it, his hands are held against his back as he’s forcibly lifted upwards to the ground.

 

“Shame, would’ve been nice to have my first fight with a waterbender,” Ushijima stares down at Kageyama, looking smug as he notices his frozen expression, “but I suppose you aren’t used to firebenders. What a pity.”

 

“Let him—go!” Oikawa struggles against the confines of the soldiers behind him, “He didn’t hurt you!”

 

Ushijima ignores him and turns to the rest of the Water Tribe, which only manages to piss off Oikawa even more, “I had been duly notified that there are currently no waterbenders left in the Southern Water Tribe, and only know have I found out...” He glances behind him, looking at Kageyama only. The act doesn’t go unnoticed by Oikawa, who fumes in his human confines, “...that it’s entirely false.”

 

“Now, listen carefully,” Ushijima turns back to the petrified audience, “I have come here in search for one thing and one thing only, the Avatar. If none wish to bring him up to me, I will gladly take your only waterbender in exchange.”

 

“I-I’m sorry,” Kageyama mutters back to Oikawa, “I was just—just so nervous and I—I couldn’t help myself...”

 

“Tobio, it’s okay,” Oikawa whispers softly, and Kageyama doesn’t know whether it’s meant to soothe him or let them stay out of earshot, but it’s appreciated nonetheless, “This is just a bump in the road. As long as Chibi-chan’s safe...”

 

“Let them go, Fire Nation Prince!”

 

Tooru doesn’t even need to turn his head to see who the voice belonged, “Well, so much for protecting the Avatar.” He deadpans.

 

“Hinata, what are you _doing_?” Kageyama exclaims, panic evident in his face.

Meanwhile, Ushijima cocks an eyebrow, squinting at the shadowed figure standing from a distance, “And...who may you be?”

 

“I’m Hinata Shouyou!” He exclaims, “I’m the Avatar! I’m the one you’re looking for!”

 

Ushijima readies himself in an instant, leaning back against his back leg and raising his arms in defense, “Then show yourself.”

 

Hinata steps forward without hesitation, little by little, until the sunlight finally illuminates his face and figure, showing off a confident grin. Unfortunately, his moment of glory does not last long, because soon enough, everyone, including some inhabitants of the Water Tribe, start _laughing_.

 

“You...you are the Avatar?” Ushijima blinks, “But, you look young, and rather...short.”

 

Hinata fumes, “Excuse me! I bet I could take you down!”

 

“You? But you’re just a child.”

 

“And...you’re just a teenager?”

 

Ushijima pauses, then scoffs and turns his back away from the redhead, “Take the waterbenders away. I think we’re done here—“

 

A sudden flash of red appears before Ushijima’s eyes, and it’s only after he blinks that he could see the short redhead standing in front of him. His Water Tribe clothes were now abandoned, revealing a set of red and brown clothing that Ushijima found unmistakable to the common-wear of his nation. Finally, a streak of fire, disappearing rather quickly due to the ice was traced back from the behind of the short boy, whose eyes were as red and lively like the fires he represented.

 

“I don’t look very impressive,” Shouyou starts, “and I still don’t know how to bend any of the other elements, but I know that I am the Avatar. I know, because I was there when Fire Lord Sozin was in power. I was alive when he sent me away from my hometown and into the heart of the Fire Nation. I was alive when he asked me to train and become a human weapon to fight for the Fire Nation in the stupid war that he would call ‘bringing prosperity.’ I refused his offer because I knew he was wrong, and I was there when he took my family away from me and sent me to prison where I would rot for the rest of my life. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Hinata points his glare towards Ushijima as his bright orange eyes teeters on the edge of pleading, “I think I have a cell in the Boiling Rock that’s waiting for _me_.”

 

Ushijima doesn’t move for a moment, insisting instead to stare at Hinata closely. A silent unease spreads throughout the people, to the point where awkward fumbling and shivering doesn’t stem from the chilly atmosphere alone.

 

“Interesting...” The Prince mutters, pacing slowly around the self-proclaimed Avatar, who resists the nerves of losing resolve under Ushijima’s steely eyes, “... _very_ interesting. I can’t doubt you, really, the information you know is too true to be said from just the average commoner. Soldiers, restrain him.” Hinata doesn’t flinch when he feels hands on confining his arms on his back, doesn’t let up his fiery glare towards Ushijima, who stops in his tracks and stares at him straight in the eye, “It’s better this way, really. Imagine the world’s reaction when their only hope of ending their suffering comes from the people who started it.” He then turns his direction to his soldiers, “Take him away,” He pauses, shooting a quick glance towards Tobio, “The waterbender, too.”

 

“W-What?” Kageyama stammers, struggling as he’s being pulled away, “Oikawa-san!”

 

“What the hell, Prince, I thought we had a deal!” Oikawa shouts, still restrained andstruggling as he helplessly watches his baby cousin being taken away.

 

“I’ll need to validate the your statements first,” He points to Hinata, “and the Fire Lord will be pleased to see that I have captured the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe.”

 

After a moment, Oikawa stops struggling, opting to remain strangely quiet. One glance at the elder’s knowing eyes, and Kageyama ceases struggling too. Hinata glances between both of them, confusion stamped on his face, but there was no point in questioning the mental communication those two shared. He has no time in thinking about it anyways, as his reverie is cut from the guards dragging him through the ice and unto the metal ramp. He looks over to Kageyama, who seems oddly calm, and tosses him a reassuring smile.

 

* * *

 

There was a certain, strange sensation of numbness that had rooted itself into the unflattering bowls of his stomach, Oikawa notices. He can't help but notice, frankly.He slithers among the crowd of tribespeople, most of whom busied themselves in repairing the damage, something that he should probably do as well, while the sensation crawls into the veins of his arms and hands. It weighs down his stomach and his hands, as he quickly unfurls the knot that held his canoe in place. As he readied himself to get on the boat, it dawned on him that he was feeling something, a capricious emotion that implanted itself without warning. Was it guilt? Anger? Sadness? Doubt? Either way, Oikawa did what he did best, which was shoving down all those infernal feelings and keeping his eyes on the prize.

 

"Did you really think you would escape this easily without me finding out?"

 

Oikawa freezes, a simmering look of defeat on his face, "Gran-Gran, how lovely to see you—“

 

“Enough chit-chat, Tooru. Now,” She places her hands on her hips, “What made you think it was a good idea to kidnap that poor boy?”

 

Tooru raises a brow, “Who...told you?”

 

“No one. I could sense his presence the moment he took a step into the Water Tribe.” Gran-Gran says, “I also could hear him from a mile away. I’m sure Tobio had some trouble catching up with him.”

 

Oikawa smirks, “Oh Gran-Gran, you should see his reactions around the boy. He doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

 

“Oh spirits, Tooru, don’t torment him. This is a very new stage in his life and I don’t want you scaring him off.”

 

“Oh please, Shouyou-chan would probably scare Tobio off first before I have anything to say about it,” Tooru snickers. His face turns surprisingly contrite as he glances back at his Grandmother, “Sorry for not telling you sooner about him. I was going to, honest—“

 

“Oh Tooru, you can apologize when you save my grandson and his little friend back from that Fire Nation Prince.” She starts to turn away, but looks back and places a hand on his shoulder, “And Tooru? I know how much it bothers you, but don’t get worked up about that Prince. You’ll have plenty of chances in the future to tussle with him.” 

 

Oikawa’s apologetic frown morphs into a warm smile, “Thanks, Gran-Gran.” 

 

* * *

 

“So,” Ushijima says firmly, eyes locked unto the scroll in his hands, “Seems like your story does check out...”

 

Hinata scowls, “I told you! Now let Kageyama-kun go!”

 

“Oh, is that the name of this waterbender here?” Ushijima lifts his head to glance at Kageyama, whose stare and resolve was colder than ever, “My mother will be glad to know that we are finally in possession of the last Southern waterbender...” His eyes harden at the sight of Kageyama flinching at the word ‘mother’, “Oh? Did that strike a cord for you, perhaps?”

 

Kageyama shifts his eyes unto the barren metal floor, repressing the want to tear the Prince’s head in half.

 

“Very well, then,” Ushijima looks over to the soldiers, “Take them away into their cells and tell General Eita to set our course for the Fire Nation.”

 

The soldiers bow before escorting the captives into the superstructure of the war ship, which lead to a series of hallways full of pipes and metal doors. The ship hums as it sailed farther away from the Water Tribe, creating a blanket of white noise that was eerily comforting. Soon enough, they stopped in front of a door and twisted the large handle open, revealing a solemn chamber with a mattress lying on the floor. As the Soldiers take a moment to assess the quarters, a inappropriately excited voice interrupts them.

 

“Wah, look Kageyama! It actually worked!”

 

“Shut up, baka! They can hear us!”

 

The soldiers quickly turn to inspect the duo, and sure enough, they see Hinata standing, his metal cufflinks casually hanging from the tip of his finger. He smiles sheepishly as he holds up a peace sign, “Oops.”

 

Before the two soldiers could react, Hinata instantly releases a blow of fire from his hands, sending the two directly into the chamber, hitting the wall with a blunt _CLANG_! In a moment of good fortune, the keys happen to fly out of the soldier’s hands, and Hinata quickly catches it and bangs the metal door shut before anything else could happen.

 

“Whew, that was close!” Hinata turns towards Kageyama, keys in hand.

 

Tobio turns his restrained hands towards him, a glare itching on his face, “Idiot! Don’t blurt stupid stuff like that in front of the enemy!”

 

“Well, at least I got out of the stupid cuffs.” Shouyou huffs, “Now hold still! I’m trying to find the right key!”

 

 _Clank_! Went the cufflinks as they dropped unto the floor. Tobio sighs, massaging his wrists as he turns to face Hinata, “Ah, thank the Spirits for your weirdly sweaty hands.” He shoots a weird look towards his direction, “Very weird. Are you sure it doesn’t happen regularly?”

 

“That Ushijima Prince is scary! I couldn’t show any fear, so I had to sweat it all out!”

 

“Gross.” Tobio says dryly, “Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

 

Shouyou hums, “Are you sure Oikawa-san followed us that quickly? Shouldn’t we be pretty far by now?”

 

“Trust me. His personality is terrible but he’s a pretty tenacious waterbender. I’m sure he’s just waiting for us at this point.”

 

* * *

“I swear, the—hah—things I do for that little brat...” Oikawa heaves out, dragging out his arms through the air as he approaches the ship. Once he does, he freezes the water in between his canoe and the warship, just enough for his boat to stay mobile without the troublesome need for vigorous waterbending.

 

As much as it enervated his energy, however, Tooru gathers some waves and propels himself upwards to reach the rim of the ship, holding onto the metal railings. He scans the surroundings and instantly spots a crowd of soldiers on deck, some guarding the doors nearby, others gathered around a table, most likely enjoying their scheduled downtime. By the edge of the boat is the Prince from earlier, gazing solemnly at the waters. He’s about to rack his brain for ideas until he spots one of the doors slowly inch open, revealing a familiar set of raven hair and blue eyes.

 

“Tobio!” Oikawa softly exclaims to himself, “Come on, look over here, you dummy!”

 

It takes a moment before Kageyama determines the strange tuff of amber hair growing off the side of the ship to be Oikawa. He waves and points to the sea of soldiers with a concerned look.

 

“Don’t worry,” Tooru mouthes out, “just stay put.”

 

He notes his surroundings, eyes darting left and right to find something that could act as a distraction, but alas, all he sees is an endless expanse of iceberg-ridden waters. Oikawa huffs; he’ll have to make do.

 

He looks over to the guards, making sure he remains unnoticable, before bending up a sliver of water into his palms. Up ahead lies a large iceberg, just enough off course of the ship that it can safely cross through, but close enough to snag their attention if anything happens. ‘ _Deja vu..._ ’ Tooru thinks to himself as he bends the water towards the iceberg, squinting as he positions it over the largest crack on the surface. He lifts his arm, and slams it down as hard as he could.

 

 _CRACK_! went the iceberg, and little by little, the cracks spread throughout the whole surface, until it split right through the ice, not enough to split it in half but enough to break off large chunks of ice and send it into the sea.

 

Oikawa was quick to turn his attention towards the soldiers, who were busy craning their necks to see what had just happened. Perfect. Amongst the silent uproar, Tooru glances over to the duo and gestures at them to ‘ _Get over here before one of them turns back! Hurry_!’

 

Tobio rushes through the door with a caught off guard Hinata in hand, making his steps as light as possible. ‘ _We’re gonna make it...!_ ’ Kageyama thinks, beaming triumphantly as he reaches out towards the ledge. Before he could even lay his hand on the railings, however, a bright flash of fire encompasses his vision. In a moment of pure instinct, he quickly retracts his hand, but _not quickly enough_ , he realizes, as a surging hot pain shoots through his hand.

 

“ _Ngh—_!” Tobio bites down a scream, dropping down to the floor with a loud thud as he breathes in and out in heavy pants. Oikawa jerks forward in instinct, but instead ducks to stay away from range, clenching his fists as he resists the heavy urge to lurch forward towards his baby cousin.

 

“K-Kageyama!” Hinata instinctively reaches out, cradling him loosely. He turns his head towards the direction of the flame, and there stood Ushijima, gazing curiously at the kneeling duo.

 

“Oh...” He mutters, tilting his head to the side. Soldiers circle them both as Hinata unknowingly shields Tobio, “How unfortunate, I actually managed to shoot you.”

 

“H-Hey, Kageyama-kun...” Hinata winces as his eyes lock into the burnt hand, It’s...it’s going to be alright...”

 

‘ _This is bad_.’ Oikawa stares in a state of helplessness as Hinata and Kageyama slowly get cornered by Ushijima, ‘ _This is really, really bad_.’

 

“Oh, but I suppose this is fair, isn’t it?” Ushijima muses, “After all, I thought we had an agreement.”

 

A faint shimmer of white flickers in Hinata’s eyes, generously covered by his unruly hair. Oikawa rubs his eyes with a free hand, unsure whether that flicker was a trick of the light.

 

“Yeah...we did...” Hinata mutters, lifting his head up slightly to stare at Ushijima. His eyes seem sharper and brighter, and Wakatoshi resists the urge to take a step back, “I guess we can’t all keep our promises, right, Prince?” He says with an indecipherable tilt to his voice.

 

His lips curl downwards, “Seize them.”

 

Soldiers break out from their distracted reveries and rush forward towards the duo. Oikawa lifts his hand, ready to attack, but can’t seem to break his eyes away from the water being dragged up from the ocean and into the ship, controlled by a force that he knows isn’t _him_.

 

 _‘Was Tobio faking his injury_?’ He ponders to himself. It doesn’t last long, because as the soldiers covering his view of the duo have been wiped out into the sea due to a powerful water blast, Kageyama is still kneeling, cradling his hand, but his eyes were fixated on Hinata, who’s eyes were glowing a bright white, and his arms shrouded in seawater.

 

Hinata—he was in the _Avatar State_.

 

“Don’t touch him,” He says in a manner that could only be interpreted as soft, but in a volume that echoed through the atmosphere, “Don’t you _dare_ touch him.”

 

Ushijima could only gape in what seemed like a mixture of awe and horror as Hinata’s feet left the metal surface and was replaced by large streams of water, hoisting him up into the winter air. Shouyou was unbothered by the wind nipping at his face, unaware of the freezing seawater that cut off all feeling in his limbs. What gave him warmth, what gave him _power_ , was the sheer wrath coursing through his veins, because _how could he_?

 

“Firelord Sozin may have taken my family from me,” Shouyou says, his voice amplified through millions of voices. Oikawa assumes that it must be the voices of the Avatars that have come before him, “but I won’t let you take Kageyama away from _his_.”

 

With that, he raises his hands and slams it down in an instant, and with it comes the onslaught of waves that rise and fall unto the ship, effectively missing Kageyama and Oikawa and wiping out everyone else on deck and unto the sea below. In a final blow, he strikes a large iceberg with a slice of water, sending it down unto the ship and rendering it immobile.

 

Before either Kageyama or Oikawa could react, the light in Shouyou’s eyes dies out as the waves recede back into the sea. As a result, Hinata plummets unto the ship, exhausting finally taking its effect in the boy. Oikawa, in reflex, leaps over the railings and leaps with both arms out towards the falling boy, managing to catch him.

 

“Spirits, Shouyou-chan,” Oikawa pants, “warn a guy before you do that.”

 

Tooru lifts himself from his position, still holding the unconscious Shouyou up, before rushing towards Kageyama. He was still crouched over, his blue eyes wide and teary, but something else caught Oikawa’s eye.

 

“T-Tobio-chan...” His mouth gapes, “Your hand! It’s—!”

 

* * *

 

 

“I can’t understand your strange fascination with abandoned temples,” Says a monotone voice. He peers around, glancing at the damp stone floor and the many moss-covered statues illuminated by the dim light from outside. The expression on his face extorts into sharp disgust as he finds out that his bare feet went into contact with some unknown source of slime that’s been festering on the ground for Spirits knows how long, “There are better hobbies that provide much more mental enrichment, other than this glorified dumpster diving you call exploration.”

 

“It isn’t glorified dumpster diving!” Another voice argues, “Isn’t it fascinating to examine the statues and temples that you’ve been reading about your whole life?” He continues to leap over the debris, not failing to lose eye contact with the different statues while doing so.

 

“At least reading doesn’t smell like it’s been rotting in the dark for over 100 years.”

 

A chuckle resounds through the empty temple, “Well, if you read so much about it, then tell me where we are exactly, Tsukki.”

 

Tsukki sighs and stares at one of the statues. It was Avatar Ukai, an earthbender and the previous Avatar, “...the Avatar temple. It dates back all the previous Avatars in chronological order. A temple like this is so infused with spirituality, that it’s able to tell us when the current Avatar has went into the Avatar state.”

 

The other hums, “That’s pretty neat, isn’t it?”

 

“And borderline creepy, but yes, I admit it’s fascinating.” Tsukki says, glancing over to the other one beside him. His face was contorted into a look of somber, “Uh, hey, Yamaguchi?”

 

“Uh...yeah?”

 

“Are you alright? You seem distracted over there.”

 

Yamaguchi laughs it off, “Ah, no, it’s just...do you the Avatar could still be alive? At this point...it feels almost like a myth.”

 

Tsukki hums, “Well, they’ve been gone for over a century now, and despite our efforts, it’s impossible to pinpoint who or where he is right now. Legend says that the Avatar Cycle is broken, even, so he won’t return if that’s the case,” He shoots a glance over at Yamaguchi, who looks at the ground with a torn look, “I mean...there’s still a good chance that he’s alive, you know. The Avatar Cycle being broken is a pretty outrageous claim to begin with.”

 

Yamaguchi looks up at the other and grins, “Thanks, Tsukki.”

 

Tsukki huffs, “How many times do I have to tell you that Tsukishima is fine?”

 

“Oh, request noted,” Yamaguchi says as he steps a little closer towards the statues, “...and ignored.”

 

“Anyways,” Tsukishima sighs, “Can we leave now? The Monks have made their standings very clear regarding your explorations outside the guarded temples.”

 

“Oh, lighten up, exploration is good for two growing men!”

 

“You know what’s actually good for growing men? Being alive.”

 

“Oh, shut up.” Yamaguchi shushes, facing his way back to the temple, though this time, a flicker of light shone through Avatar Ukai’s eyes, sending Yamaguchi back a step, “W-Woah, Tsukki, did you see that?”

 

“Hm?” Tsukishima turns around, spotting the look of disbelief on the other’s face, “Geez, Yamaguchi. You look like you’ve seen a spirit or something.”

 

“The statue! His eyes flickered! Did you really not see that?” Yamaguchi exclaims, staring down Tsukishima like a madman.

 

“Calm down. It was probably just the sun, or something. That, or the fumes of this place are starting to mess with your head.” Tsukki inhales through his nose, “I’m guessing the latter.”

 

“I...I guess you’re right.” Yamaguchi sighs, “Then I guess we should head back then?” He says as he turns around. His walking, however, when he turns back around to see Tsukishima standing still like an oak, staring at the statue with an indecipherable glint in his eyes, “Uh...Tsukki? We best be going before the Monks notice our absence.”

 

Tsukishima doesn’t reply for an abnormally long amount of time, which does little to settle the nerves already built up inside Yamaguchi. Finally, after a small minute, Tsukki mutters, “That...That’s impossible, right?”

 

Yamaguchi laughs it off, “I guess the fumes are getting to you, too?”

 

Tsukki steps closer to the statues, “I hope so.”

 

A beat passes, and before either of the two could say something to alleviate the eeriness of the situation, the statue’s eyes start to _glow_.

 

“What in the spirits...?” Tsukki mumbles again.

 

“Look! They’re all doing it!”

 

Tsukki takes a step back, and sure enough, the eyes of each one start to glow, one by one, before eventually reaching the middle. Both gape at the sight, eyes fixated in each one as the Temple lights up through the small yet concentrated beams of light.

 

“Tsukki...” Yamaguchi mutters as the lights die down from the statues, “Does this mean...the Avatar is alive?”

 

Before Tsukishima could respond, a familiar voice cuts through their moment of awe, “I believe your assumption is right, Yamaguchi.”

 

Like bullets, both of their heads shoot backwards to see their one and only teacher, Monk Gyatso, “Although...you two do know that these parts are forbidden, right?”

 

Yamaguchi is the first one to speak, immediately bowing in the process, “M-Monk Gyatso, this is all my fault, please accept my apology—“

 

“Oh hush, Tadashi. In fact, I couldn’t be happier to see both of your faces here today!”

 

“Forgive me, Monk Gyatso...” Tsukishima starts, regaining his posture, “But what do you mean?”

 

“Well, you just saw what happened here, did you not?” The older man says, “Something special has happened, something that hasn’t occurred in over a decade...”

 

Tadashi raises a brow at the cryptic wording, “What do you mean?”

 

“The Avatar...has finally returned,” He says, he finally says, but somehow, he isn’t done speaking yet, “And you two are tied to his destiny. You must aid in his return. Find the Avatar, and bring him here, so that you two may both teach him the element of Air.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I apologize for any errors, grammatical or story-wise.
> 
> Also!!!! If you have suggestions on where the characters from Karasuno, Nekoma, Fukorodani, etc. should be in, please let me know! I already have a place for Seijou in mind but im really stumped on the rest :/

**Author's Note:**

> Any errors, grammatical or story-wise, will be fixed later on. Feel free to ask any questions!


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